In a computer environment, for example during an Internet connection, the display of unwanted pop-ups and panels are commonplace. This can be very frustrating and cause nuisance to a user. As a workaround, pop-up blockers exist which relate to specific applications such as browsers. This generally prevents all pop-ups from appearing, but pop-up blockers only function within those specific applications. Thus, presently available pop-up blockers do not relate to the desktop or overall display environments being used by the user, and do not provide an intelligent manner by which the greater management of pop-ups and windows on a display can be handled.
Existing technologies used to control the desktop also fail to enable complete control of window arrangement and display. For example, US 2006/0161623A1 discloses a method and apparatus for sharing information on a desktop with another device, where the desktop includes a hidden window which cannot be viewed on the other device. Additionally, US 2006/0107229A1 discloses a method and apparatus for using a three-dimensional transformation which effectively decouples an operating system from the application it hosts, in order to minimize visual clutter on the desktop.
None of the available prior art techniques appear to address the objective problem of fully controlling the location and display of windows within a graphical user interface. It is an object of the present invention to alleviate some of the problems associated with these prior art techniques. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method and system to effectively handle and control the display of pop-up information in new windows on the desktop or other display environments.